Watching the Video

How do you teach young students abstract concepts like change and the passage of time?

What types of visuals do you use to help students learn? What determines the type of visuals that you use?

When do you use small groups to enhance student learning? How do you organize the student groups? What factors make using small groups a successful teaching strategy?

Watch the VideoAs you watch "Historical Change," take notes on Mr. Kitts's instructional strategies, particularly how he helps students comprehend change over time. Write down what you find interesting, surprising, or especially important about the teaching and learning in this lesson.

Reflecting on the VideoReview your notes, then respond to the following questions:

What struck you about the classroom climate, background, preparation, strategies, and materials used in this lesson?

How did Mr. Kitts integrate his students' culture with a lesson about other people and eras?

What strategies did Mr. Kitts use to engage his students? Which strategies helped students retain information and use knowledge in new settings?

How did this lesson build on students' sense of history?

What did Mr. Kitts do to make the concepts in this lesson easier for students to understand? How did he assess students' understanding?

How is this class different from yours? What are some concrete examples from your students' lives that you might use to illustrate historical change?

Looking CloserLet's take a second look at Mr. Kitts's class to focus on specific teaching strategies. Use the video images below to locate where to begin viewing.

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Learning How To Read a Timeline: Video Segment
Go to this segment in the video by matching the image (to the left) on your video screen. You'll find this segment approximately 3 minutes into the video. Watch for about 5 minutes.

As the lesson begins, Mr. Kitts uses a timeline to help students visualize the passage of time and understand the order of events they've studied, such as family history.

How does Mr. Kitts make reading the timeline meaningful to his students?

How does he use the Keres language of his students in this part of the lesson?

How does he integrate other subjects with this social studies lesson?

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Agricultural Changes Over Time: Video Segment
Go to this segment in the video by matching the image (to the left) on your video screen. You'll find this segment approximately 12 minutes into the video. Watch for about 8 minutes.

Mr. Kitts's students have already read Heartland, a story of modern farming, and are now going to hear a story about what farming was like 200 years ago, called Oxcart Man. Students use these two books to create and present a time wheel comparing past and present farming techniques.

Why did Mr. Kitts select books about farming for this lesson?

Why did Mr. Kitts choose the time wheel as a way for students to compare the two books?

How does Mr. Kitts plan the lesson to accommodate his students' needs and preferences?

How are students supported while making and presenting the time wheel?